Design and Construction
The hull and bulkheads use lightweight fiberglass/foam composites. The hull itself is a hand-laid GRP shell reinforced by a grid of frames and stringers. A sandwich GRP deck structure is topped with an 8mm teak deck, vacuum-glued in place.
Mahogany-sheathed false coamings and cabintop sides give the boat much of her visual character. Control lines run through galleries behind these panels, which can be removed and stored under cover when the boat is laid up.
The Tofinou 12 measures 39 feet 4 inches overall, with a 35-foot 6-inch waterline, a 10-foot 6-inch beam, and 7 feet 9 inches of draft. She is a bulb-keeled, spade-rudder monohull carrying 3,086 pounds of lead ballast against a displacement of 10,582 pounds. That gives her a 29 percent ballast ratio. Together with a sail-area-to-displacement figure of 29.27, these numbers point to a lively yet settled platform.
Rig and Handling
A carbon-fiber spar carries a fractional sloop rig, while a self-tacking jib simplifies short-handed sailing upwind. Sail controls lead aft to four Harken winches in the cockpit, concentrating trim control near the helm.
Twin carbon-fiber wheels, trimmed in leather for grip, allow the helmsman to stand behind either wheel and see the sail plan clear of the cabintop. It’s a layout well suited to a boat intended as much for guests as for working crew.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit is central to the Tofinou 12’s appeal. Long, teak-covered bench seats and comfortable padded backrests give guests room to recline while the boat is handled from the wheels, blurring the distinction between cockpit and saloon.
Below, the accommodations are minimalist but adequate, with a choice of two base layouts. One is an open-plan interior by Philippe Starck—a stylist’s interpretation of compact liveaboard space rather than a conventional cabin plan.
Equipment and Capacities
The working area is clustered around the twin wheels, with Harken winches and led-aft controls defining the cockpit ergonomics.
A 29hp Yanmar diesel provides auxiliary power, supported by a 3 x 110Ah electrical bank. The boat carries 13 gallons of diesel and 26 gallons of water, capacities consistent with a design biased toward sailing rather than motoring or extended cruising.
The Verdict
The Tofinou 12 is a distinctive large daysailer: a light, low-slung Joubert/Nivelt hull with a carbon rig and a genuinely social cockpit. Its artist-designed interior will appeal to owners who value form as much as function. She isn’t a volume cruiser, but she is a considered object.
Pros
- Substantial weight savings over typical 40-foot production boats
- Carbon spar and led-aft controls for tidy cockpit management
- Removable coaming panels for off-season storage
- Twin wheels, teak seating, and padded backrests
Cons
- Minimalist accommodations limit cruising range
- Limited fuel and water capacity for extended passages
- Nearly eight feet of draft restricts anchorage choices
